Boot or shoe clasp



O. G. HAZELTON.

BOOT OR SHOE GLASPL (N0 Model.)

Patented July 15,1890.

MW Jlllnrney.

T Vitnesses:

Nrrn STATES PATENT rrrcn.

CHARLES C. HAZELTON, OF \VATERTOVVN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE VAN HORNE, OF MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

sooT oR SHOE CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,041, dated July 15, 1890'. Application filed July 18, 1889- Serial No. 317,932. (No model.)

To (all whom it nuty 0072007 72,:

Beitknown that 1, CHARLES C. HAZELTON, of \Vatertown, in the county of Llliddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boot or Shoe .Clasps, of which the following, taken in conn ection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to elasps or buckles for securing together the slitted portions of a boot orshoc or other article; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings, and to the claims hereinafter given,and in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is a plan of my improved clasp. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 0c 00 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4- is atransverse section on lineyy on Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan and edge view of the locking-lever. Fig. 7 is a plan of leverearrying plate. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on line 2 2 on Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 isa trans verse section on line r '0 on Fig. 8.

In the drawings, A is the tongue-plate, provided at one end with a hole a, by means of which and a suitable rivet it may be secured to the upper of a boot or shoe upon one side of the slit made therein to facilitate the introduction of the foot. Thisplate has its two edges parallel for the greater part of its length, and has formed upon its outer surface a series of teeth 1), extending transversely across a central portion of the width of the same, which may be formed by means of dies or by milling or in any other well-known manner. I prefer, however, to emboss said plate, to impart thereto a transverse double reverse curve, as shown in Fig. 4, and form the teeth by milling across the convex central portion of said plate.

B is another plate, provided at the end with a hole 0, by means of which and a suitable rivet it may be secured to the upper of the boot or shoe upon the side of the slit opposite to the plate A, and also provided with two upwardly-projccting ears (Z (Z, in which are formed bearings to receive thepivots or journals c e of the locking-lever C. The lever C is stamped or cut from a plate of sheet metal, preferably steel, with the journals e c integral therewith, and has its broad end bent, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, so that that portion thereof which forms the short arm of the lever has its end in a plane drawn through its pivotal axis and at right angles, or nearly so, with the general direction of the long arm of said lever, and is provided with a tooth i at its end and adapted to engage with the teeth I). of the plate A when the lever O is moved from the position shown "in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The length of the short arm of the lever O, or the distance from the axis of said lever to the end of the tooth i, must be so proportioned to the distance from said axis to the bottoms of the grooves or notches between the teeth I) of the plate A when said plate is introduced between said lever and the plate B that in moving the lever C from its n11- locked position to its locked position (shown by dotted and full lines, respectively) the plates A and B will be pressed so firmly together as the tooth e' passes a line drawn through the axis of the lever O and the center of the longitudinal curve of the plate A as to cause such a spring of the parts that as the motion of the lever O is continued and the tooth i passes to the right of said line the elasticity of the tongue-plate A and the spring 0 will cause the long arm of said leverG to be forced down upon the plate A, and retain it in said position until force is applied to its free end to raise it. The radius of the longitudinal curve of the tongue-plate A is somewhat less than the radius of the longitudinal curve of the plate B, so that when the tongue is inserted between the plate B and the lever O, with said lever in its raised position, the plate A will bear at its under side upon the plate B only at two points or along two trans verse lines, there beinga crescent-shaped space between said plates, which is reduced When the lever O is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3, because of the pressureof the short arm of said lever C springing the tongueplate and forcing it more nearly into firm contact with the plate B, as shown. The plate B has a slit cut through it of the form shown in Fig. 7, around three sides of the section of metal 7c, the free end of which is bent slightly upward and curved both longitudinally and transversely, so as to form thereon a convex bearing-surface Z, near said end, adapted to fit into and press against the surface of the concave groove extending longitudinally of the under side of the tongue plate A, said tongue-like section 70 serving as a spring to create friction upon the under side of the tongue-plate, and aid in holding the same in position when the locking-lever O is thrown into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The plates A and B being secured to opposing parts of a boot, shoe, glove, or other article that it is desired tosecure together, the two parts of the boot, shoe, or other article are drawn toward each other by the hand at the same time that the free end of the tongueplate Ais passed between the plate B and the lever C, said lever being in the raised position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when the parts are drawn as close together as it is practical to draw them by hand the lever O is turned down into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, in doing which the plate A is sprung so as to force it nearer to the plate B directly beneath the pivotal axis of said lever, and into firm contact with, an d spring the section 7t, and at the same time the ton gueplate is' moved end wise toward the right of Fig. 3, thus drawing the opposing parts still nearer together.

The advantages of this clasp are its simpli city and consequent cheapness of construction, its neat appearance, its durability, and effectiveness of operation.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to-secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a clasp for boots, shoes, and other articles, the combination of a tongue-plate curved longitudinally and provided with a series of'rack-like teeth along the center of its convex side, a tongue receiving and supporting plate, also curved longitudinally, but to a curve of greater radius than the tongueplate, so that when placed one upon the other they willbe in contact only at the two extremes of their overlapping portions until pressed into contact by the locking-lever, said supporting-plate being provided with two outwardly-projecting ears integral therewith, and a locking-lever mounted in fixed bearings in said ears and provided on its short arm with a tooth to engage with a tooth of the ton gue-plate and move it endwisc and lock it, substantially as described.

2. In a clasp for boots, shoes, or other articles, the combination of thetongue-plate A. provided with the teeth I), the plate B, provided with outwardlyproj ectin g ears (Z (Z, and the spring-section 7a, and the locking-levcrC, mounted in pivotal hearings in said ears, and constructed and arranged to engage with the teeth of the tongue-plate A, to tighten the fastening and lock the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 17th day of July, A. D. 1889.

CHARLES C. l-IAZELTON.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, WALTER E. LOMBARD. 

